In various work vehicle applications, a drive assembly may be utilized to provide rotational power to various components of the vehicle. In some wheeled or tracked vehicles, such as motor graders, a final drive assembly is mounted to a frame of the vehicle to provide rotational power, at a wheel mount of the drive assembly, to drive the wheels or tracks of the vehicle, and thereby move the vehicle over terrain. Such a drive assembly (and others) may include hydraulic motors for providing rotational power, and various gears for adjusting the speed of the rotational power for output at the wheel mount.
Hydraulically-actuated modules containing clutch devices (hereafter “hydraulic clutch modules”) are commonly incorporated into drive assemblies such as these for the purpose of providing a selective rotary coupling. The rotary coupling is “selective” in the sense that the coupling can be selectively engaged and disengaged by controlling the flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid to the clutch module during work vehicle operation. The function of a hydraulic clutch module can vary depending upon clutch module design and the manner in which the clutch module is integrated into a particular work vehicle. In certain instances, a hydraulic clutch module may be designed to function as a hydraulically-applied, spring-released rotary coupling. In this case, the hydraulic clutch module can be hydraulically controlled to connect or disconnect an input shaft to an output shaft to, for example, selectively provide a freewheel condition between one or more drive motors and the wheels of a work vehicle. In other instances, a hydraulic clutch module may be designed to function as a spring-applied, hydraulically-released brake. In this case, the hydraulic clutch module can be controlled to selectively couple an input shaft to a non-rotating structure or “mechanical ground” within the work vehicle and thereby provide a controlled braking effect. Hydraulic clutch modules of this type may be integrated into a work vehicle to provide, for example, a park brake feature.
As conventionally produced, a hydraulic clutch module is designed for the sole performance of a single, dedicated function. Thus, a conventional hydraulic clutch module designed to function as a hydraulically-applied, spring-released rotary coupling cannot alternatively serve as a spring-applied, hydraulically-released brake. Conversely, a hydraulic clutch module designed to function as a spring-applied, hydraulically-released brake is traditionally incapable of serving as a hydraulically-applied, spring-released rotary coupling. This results in a certain lack of versatility and cross-compatibility between hydraulic clutch modules, which may contribute to an overall increase in the complexity, cost, and duration of work vehicle manufacture.